Saturday May 22, 2010 The crew are really embracing this sailmaking project. We’re working on a mainsail for the Carriacou sloop Mermaid, owned for the past 33 years by John Smith. The Mermaid is currently in Panama, so our intention is to have the sail done in time to hand it over to John there. …
Thursday May 27, 2010 After Picton Castle sailed into Anguilla on Monday, the Captain immediately ran into an old friend of his, Captain Kevin Gray who has been working and sailing around the Caribbean for decades. As the two of them were catching up, the idea came about that our crew could help to make …
Wednesday May 26, 2010 What a great time we have been having in sweet Anguilla. This tropical island port is a perfect first stop on a long voyage out to the Pacific and around the world – nice and relaxing after a North Atlantic passage. Ashore, nothing for the off-watch to do but swim, snorkel, …
0730 – beautiful warm sultry tropical Caribbean morning – winds have backed into the ESE and blow steady and fresh, sky has plenty blue in it, still some squall clouds about – shoals of tiny flying fish shoot across the seas surface from time to time. One has graciously landed aboard overnight for Chibleys breakfast …
Captain’s Log – Anguilla Bound Sunday May 23. 2010 Yesterday morning the Captain posted this notice on the door to the main salon scuttle (where all important notices for Picton Castle crew are posted): “Announcing – In order to put some sand between our toes and have a little fun ashore And after an excellent …
Captain’s Log – Blustery Saturday May 22, 2010 The Captain held a muster on the quarterdeck before supper yesterday to talk about our North Atlantic passage, south to the West Indies and Caribbean Sea from Nova Scotia. Using a white board, he illustrated our track so far, all has gone according to the passage plan …
Captain’s Log – High Pressure near Bermuda Tuesday May 18, 2010 Maggie Ostler Around 2000 last night the nice NW sailing wind we were experiencing gave up altogether; so we took in and furled all sail and fired up the main engine to push on southward. We’re sitting under a high pressure system with little …
Captain’s Log Monday May 17, 2010 Maggie Ostler Another beautiful day in our little barque. Before supper yesterday the Captain held a muster on the quarterdeck to explain the weather outlook to all hands, breaking the news that the wind was likely to die out, requiring us to fire up the mighty Burmeister & Wain …
Captain’s Log – Blue Skies, Blue Seas Thursday May 13, 2010 By Maggie Ostler Things just feel right this morning. As I sit here in the ship’s office in the charthouse I can see a sliver of sunlight through the office window, the white capped ocean is a rich deep blue-green, the GPS in the …
May 11, 2010 By Maggie Ostler Picton Castle sailed off the hook from Lunenburg harbour this morning. This might not be such an unusual statement to make partway through a voyage, but to do it at the beginning is quite a feat. To sail off the hook means to hoist up the anchor and get …
